Rake.



J. F. WIXOM.

BAKE. n APPLIOATIQN FILED PEB. 25, 1914.'

Patented Mar. 16

LAK-. .9

UNITED sTATEs PATENT OFFICE.

s pecication of Letters IEatent.

` 'PatentedMan 1Q, 119113.-

pplication med 'February 25, w14. Seriat No.820y996.

To allie/01net may concem Be it known that i, JOSEPH F. WIXoM, a citizen of the United States, residing at Hammondsport, in the county of Steuben and State of vNew York, have invented certain new and useful improvements in Rakes, of which the following is aspeciication.

This invention-relates to a rake, vand the principal object of the invention is to provide an attachment 'tor Aa rake which will clean the teeth of the yrake so that grass `will not collect upon the teeth.

Another object of the invention is to so construct this cleaning attach-ment that it will be normally held in an extended position, means being provided for permitting the cleaning attachment to move longitudinally upon the teeth when the rake is in.

use, thus preventing the attachment from interfering with the operation of the rake.

Another object-of the invention is to provide an attachment which is=so constructed that it will not readily get out of order when in use.

Another obiect 'of the invention is to provide an attachmentwhich islso constructed that a latch-may be connected with the vattachment for releasably holding the attachment in an inoperative position.

This invention is illustrated in Athe :accompanying drawings .wherein- Figure 1 is a front elevation of a rake provided with the improved attachment; Fig. 2 is a View of -an elevation looking at the innerface of the rake head, the shank and spring being shown in section. Fig. 3

is a top plan view of the rake head; Fig. 4 v

is a sectional view taken along the line 4-4 of Fig. 2; Fig. 5 is a perspective view of the frame of the cleaner attachment ,i Fig. 6 is a perspective View of the rake head.

The rake head 10 which is provided with the usual teeth 10 is provided with a shank l2 which extends into the handle 11 to connect the rake head with the handle. The shank is formed of two strips 13 which have their outer end-portions bent to form feet 14 secured to the rake head 10 by means of rivets 15.`-

The cleaning attachment has its body portion 16 formed of angle bar construction, openings 17 being formed in the end portions so that the rake teeth may pass through the cleaning attachment. The central ortion'of the cleaner attachment is provlded with a tongue 18 which extends above the body portionnndis provided with .a verticallyextending slot 19, lower end portion 20 of which is enlarged transversely. Openings 2 1 are formed in the body portion upon opposite sides-of 'the slot 19 to permit the passage of strips 22 which 'have their upper ends secured to the upper end portions of the tongue 18and have their lower end por- :tlonsfbent to form. abutments .23.

in -orderto prevent the central teeth of the rake 'from being bent when the rake is .in use, tongues 24 have been provided, which tongues may serve to assist in removing grass from the central teeth.v

Valii/hen assembling this rake, 'the shank 12 is passed `through the slit 19 into the handle 11 and .the free end ofthe leaf spring 25 is passed through the enlarged end 20 of the slot 19. The rake teeth pass through the openings :17 and behind the strips 22, and :it Will-thus belseen'that when the rake yis used, rthe cleaner attachment may move longitudinally upon the yteeth and remove 4the grass which may stick to the'teeth. By having the lhead of the rake passed between the strips 22 and'tongue 18,'the cleaning attachment will be=preventedfrom having undue pivotal movement upon 'the teeth which might vtend to open' the rteeth. A latch v26 has 'been .provided so 'that the cleaning attachment maybe vmoved lto a raised position .and releasably held in this raised position by moving'the I`freeend oi thelatch into cngagement with the shank 12.

When using the rake, the abutmcnts 23 -rst engage the groundV and the rake teeth 4can then be forced through the openings formed in the cleaner and into engagement with the ground. As soon as pressure is removed from the handle, the leaf spring will cause the teeth to pass back from the openings 17 to the normal position shown in Figs. 1, 2, and 4 and the cleaner attachment will remove the grass and sticks which may have vcaught upon the rake teeth. By moving the latch 26 to a locked position the cleaning attachment will be rendered inoperative until the latch is again released.

What is claimed is:

1. A rake comprising a handle, a rake head carried by said handle, a cleaner slidably mounted upon the teeth of said rake head, a tongue forming part of said cleaner and provided with al slot through which the shank of said rake head passes, strips having their upper end secured to the upper end portion of said tongue and hiaving their free end portion assed through the body portion of said c eaner and bent to form hooked-shaped abutments ositioncd upon the outer side of said rake ead, and a leaf spring carriedy by said handle and having its free end engaging said cleaner to ieldably hold the same in its normal position.

2. A rakel comprising a handle, a rake head having its shank connected with said handle, a cleaner slidably mounted upon the teeth and shank of said rake head and having vertical and horizontal portions, strips having their upper ends secured to the vertical portion of said cleaner and passing through the horizontal portion of said cleaner and having their free end portions bent .to form outwardly extending abutments, said rake head extending between said strips and the vertical portion, and

means yieldably holding said cleaner in its,

normal position.

3. A rake comprising a handle, a rake head having its shank connected with said handle, a cleaner slidably connected with said rake head, said cleaner comprising a body portion bent longitudinally to form a horizontal and a verticalflange, a tongue eX-` tending upwardly from said vertical flange and provided with a slot through which the shank of Said rake head passes, said cleaner being provided with an opening at the junction of said flanges to permit the passage of the teeth of said rake head, strips secured to the upper end portion of said tongue and passing outside of said rake head and through certain of the openin s formed in said cleaner and having their ree end portions bent to `form outwardly-extending abutmcnts, and a leaf spring carried by said handle, ythe lower end portion of the slot in said tongue being enlarged transversely to permit the free end portion of said leaf spring to pass through the same to engage the horizontal ange of said cleaner.

4. A rake comprising a handle, a rake head carried by said handle, "a cleaner slidably mounted upon said rake head and provided with an opening throu h which the teeth of said rake pass an lwith a verticall #extending slot through which the shank o said rake head passes, tongues extendin from certain of the openings throug which the teeth of said rake head pass to assist in cleaning the teeth,- abutments carried by said cleaner whereby said cleaner will be moved to an inoperatlveposition upon said rake being brought into enga ement `with the ground, resihent means for yleldably holding said cleaner m a normal position, and a latch carried by sald cleaner for `,engaging the shank of sald rake head/for releasa an inoperative position.

5. A rake comprising a handle, 'a rake head connected with said handle, a cleaner strip slidably mounted upon the teeth of said rake head and provided with a tongue extending .above the strip and slidably mounted upon the shank of said rake head, and strips connected with the upper portion of the tongue of said cleaning strlp and extending downwardly upon the opposite side of the rake head from said tongue beyond said cleaner strip and having their free end portions formed in the ,abutments engaging the ground to move the cleaner stri toward the upper ends of said teeth, and yield- 'able means normally holding said cleaner strip adjacent the free ends of said teeth.

In testimon whereof I aiiix my signature in presence o two witnesses.

JOSEPH F. W'IXOM. Witnesses:

EMMA E. GOLD, J. F. RICHARDS.

ly holding said cleaner in 

